Chairs shattered against cracking marble walls, splinters and fabric chunks spewing from their crippled forms. The bed, once draped in navy satin curtains and starfield sheets, now lay in ruins, crushed into tiny pieces by tremendous force. The vanity’s mirror, once perfect in its reflection of the room, lay a scattered jagged mess of shards across the floor; the previously beautiful whole displaying a kaleidoscope of carnage as the subject within them thrashed and spun about like a demented ballerina.

Another inequine scream tore itself from Princess Luna’s throat, her magic flaring ever brighter from her horn as her power ripped and tossed indiscriminately. Her aqua eyes were wild with raw emotion, fury, sorrow and a myriad of other feelings swirled within like a tempest as her body vented those emotions in the most destructive way it could fathom.

‘HOW DARE THEY?!’ Her inner voice raged as her magic shattered a priceless vase in its grasp, ‘HOW DARE THEY?!’

Thankfully, the lunar diarch had the presence of mind to put up a soundproofing barrier around her chambers before her emotions ran wild, for it would have drawn unwanted attention should the guards have heard the commotion.

‘Not that they would care about me one wit.’ Luna’s thoughts seethed as she imagined what the guards would think of her display, ‘All that they would care for is the precious furniture and how my actions would reflect on a true princess.’

A gilded hoof-mirror, crafted by the most renowned artisans of the land, worth more than a peasant’s home, reduced to glass dust and crumpled metal as her magic crushed it without remorse.

“As if anything I did could ever matter on its own.” Her voice was raw and scratchy from screaming, but she didn’t care, nopony was able to hear her anyway. “Everything I do, she is given credit for. All we ever dreamed for our citizens, her grand ambitions.”

Finally, there was nothing left for her raging emotions to destroy, her wild eyes roaming over the devastation of her room but not truly seeing. A dark thought came to her mind, a horrifying notion that at any other time would have revolted the alicorn. Now, that insidious idea, the horrific thought, held center stage in her mind as she lifted her head to gaze upon her moon.

“YES.” The word sounded more akin to a snake’s hiss than true Equish, “I shall tear it all down, build it all anew, so that they might see the grandeur of my night, witness the glory of what their Princess is truly capable of.”

A dark chuckle escaped her muzzle as her magic pushed open the balcony doors, her wings flaring wide as she stepped out into the frigid midnight air. She gazed down onto the city below, her baleful eyes growing manic as the horrific thought began to take root in her mind.

“Soon,” she almost purred the word as her lips threatened to pull into a wicked smile, “soon all of them will know the truth. I will make them see it, even if I must tear the entire country to the ground to do it.”

Her eyes glazed over as imaginings of her glory, the worship that she so rightfully deserved was finally bestowed upon her. Her hooves and wings carried her into the night, her body roaming down and into the palace proper as her mind ran amuck with daydreams and fantasies of what would be awaiting her after she was finished. The true glory she was owed, the respect that she deserved, all would be hers after she revealed the lies and betrayals that her so-called sister had been perpetrating for so long.

Time lost meaning as her hooves carried her through the castle and out into the grounds, her mind awash with plans and ideas as her psyche delved further and further into the madness it had spawned. Nothing was too much, no deeds too heinous, because she was right, and she was going to show them all just how wrong they were for casting her aside.

Her wild mental spiral was nearing a breaking point, a line that once crossed could never be undone. Yet, just as the deepest, most horrifying ideas began to form in her head, she was abruptly pulled from her mental machinations as her forehoof caught on something, sending her muzzle-first straight into the grass as her hind end flew up and into the air. Stars not her own flashed in her eyes as her jaw impacted the ground, her wings flaring but unable to correct her motion as her tail flipped over to flop unceremoniously over her face.

For a moment or two, Luna was frozen in shock, her labored breathing wafting her tail back and forth before her eyes, the absurdity of what had happened stunned her for more than a few seconds as her mind tried and failed to process what had occurred. Finally, her mental facilities rebooted, her tail flicking back into position as her hind end carefully lowered back onto her hooves. A glob of dirt and grass was spit onto the nearby bushes as she gingerly pushed herself to a standing position, her eyes taking in her surroundings for the first time as the mental maelstrom slowed to a simmer.

She was in a graveyard, fitting, given what her thoughts had been focused upon mere moments prior. Her hoof had caught on the edge of a monument’s base, causing her undignified pratfall in her distracted state. Her gaze turned to the stone beside her that had been the cause of her discomfort, her horn blazing in preparation of turning the unfortunate stone to rubble, only to snuff out in an instant as her eyes widened in shock at whose grave it was.

This was no mere gravestone, no, this was the resting place of several close companions of hers, lost in their prime in one of the darkest hours in Equestrian history.

Luna slowly turned, her eyes watering as she read the silver plaque that was inset at the base of the monument, their words carved by her own magic not a year ago after the disastrous campaign in the Frozen North.

Here Lies, In Honored Memory

‘The Silver Seven’

Capt. True Shot, 1st Lt. Night Glider, 2nd Lt. Aerial Ace, Master Sgt. Buccaneer “Bucky” Blaze, Staff Sgt. Stonewall, Sgt. Green Horn and PFC Daisy

Friends, Family, Soldiers, Heroes

Luna’s gaze traveled upwards from the plaque, taking in the expertly carved statue of the seven ponies, poised atop the monument like they were amid a heroic battle. Towards the bottom and the back left, Daisy was shown patching up a wounded Green Horn, the worried expression on the earth pony mare’s face countered nicely by the smarmy grin depicted by the unicorn stallion beneath her as she wrapped his injured front left leg. The sarcastic twit never could take anything seriously, but always showed his true devotion when it counted, especially if it got him patched up by the group’s medic time and time again. The two soldiers always got along like cats and dogs, but the love they shared was one of the strongest Luna had ever seen, forged through experience and exasperation in equal measure. It was fitting that Daisy had died defending her husband in the midst of tending his wounds, his longsword held in her mouth as she carried him upon her back to safety.

In front of them and slightly to the right was the hulking form of Stonewall, the massive earth pony mare a horrifying force on the battlefield, but secretly the most amazing pastry chef Luna had ever known and a tender caretaker of wounded animals in her free time. She was depicted holding her shield up before her, the serious expression on her face a reminder of her unwavering stubbornness and her resolve to protect her friends. A chuckle escaped Luna’s lips as she recalled the time the mare had come to her in tears, the massive form of an Ursa Minor somehow dragging behind the insane earth pony on a sleigh that was barely big enough for the creature’s front half. Oh, how she had begged Luna to heal the monster’s wounded leg, much to the amusement and shock of the rest of the Seven when Stonewall had pulled out the dreaded ‘puppy eyes’. How a mare nearly Luna’s size could make herself look so pathetic and adorable was beyond Luna’s ability to comprehend, but she was successful each and every time she really wanted something because of it. She had been killed by Sombra’s soldiers just outside the Crystal Palace, a crossbow bolt to the eye had taken her life with no warning, the unlucky shot somehow finding the only opening in her plate armor that wouldn’t simply irritate the massive mare.

Across from Stonewall, his horn alight as his twin swords hovered on either side of his body, was Buccaneer Blaze, preferably “Bucky” to his friends. The slim stallion was always the stickler for the rules, often trying, and failing, to get his other soldiers to stick more readily to the codex given to every recruit in training, often with little success. His magical might was second to none amidst the group, often giving him the ability to take on several opponents at once and still come out spotless. The bookish stallion was also an intellect on another level in addition to his power, often taking on the role of strategist alongside Luna during briefings when she needed a second opinion. What few knew was that Bucky had been a coltcuddler, preferring the romantic interests of his own gender as opposed to mares. While many would scoff at the idea that a stallion would ever turn down a willing mare, Bucky had done so many times at taverns and parties, although only his unit and Luna herself knew why. While it was frowned upon by society and marriage was forbidden by law, Bucky had secretly bedded and lived with his coltfriend, Aerial Ace, with Luna’s approval and support.

Said stallion was every bit the day to Bucky’s night, the pegasus a right terror when it came to pranks and routinely broke the rules for no other reason than because they existed. He was shown hovering just above and behind his lover in the monument stone, his wing blades ready as he banked up and out for another attack in tandem with his partner, their movements seemingly of one body as memories of their skill flashed in Luna’s mind’s eye. They had been inseparable, right up to the very end, when Sombra himself had killed them both with a powerful magic blast.

Night Glider flew opposite to Aerial Ace, just behind and above Stonewall, offering support to the earth pony as they protected Daisy and Green Horn. The pegasus mare had been a rare beauty in life, often making Luna question her own sexuality when she chose to dress up for formal events. Her long mane was hidden by her helmet, her hoof blades hiding her perfectly cared for hooves beneath deadly steel, her vanity stepping aside for her devotion and bravery in the heat of battle. Night Glider was always the first in battle, her speed and courage sometimes a detriment to any plan they created, but she always found a way to come out ahead anyway. Sometimes, they would complete a battle, and the mare would be soaked in the blood of her enemies, yet somehow still made it sexy at the same time. She was the female counter to Bucky, the envy of mares and the obsession of stallions everywhere. If only she hadn’t allowed her own insecurities to hinder her love life so badly, her outward confidence and appeal a mask to hide her crippling self-doubt. To the best of Luna’s knowledge, Glider had died a maiden, never once having felt the tender touch of a lover before her end, a tragedy that ate away at Luna’s own heart whenever she thought back to those times.

Finally, Luna’s eyes landed on the centerpiece of the monument, Captain True Shot, leader of the Silver Seven, and the only pony she had ever loved. His confident smile was perfectly carved into the stone, his war bow drawn back in his magic and aimed directly over Luna’s head, the intended target assuredly moments away from death. True to his name, the unicorn stallion had never missed an arrow, even when Aerial Ace had done his damned best to mess up his commander’s aim. Luna had planned to give the stallion a Knighthood for his actions in the war against Sombra, his bravery and skill on the battlefield deserving of the highest honors. The fact it would make him a minor noble and thus eligible to wed her was only a side bonus. She had tried several times to bed him, even going so far as to outright present herself to him in the privacy of her own chambers, but the stubborn idiot had denied her again and again, not because he didn’t love her back, but because he wanted to ‘honor her feelings as they should be’ and wait until they were wed before bedding with her intimately.

Sombra had ripped his heart out in front of her, helpless in a crystal prison, before eating the organ as his magic tossed the rest of her lover aside like so much garbage. Luna didn’t remember anything after that, the death of her love and the rest of her personal guard having been too much to bear. All she could recall after waking up was that she had been brought back to Everfree by her sister, the entirety of the Crystal Empire having been banished alongside Sombra upon his death, including the bodies of all the dead who had lost their lives in the conflict. The monument before her had been constructed a week after her awakening, although the lack of the depicted soldier’s bodies to properly lay them to rest grated on her heart like sandpaper. After all they had done, the heroes they became, there was nothing she could do to let them rest in peace.

Realization dawned on her as she gazed up at her most loyal friends, horror filling her being as she realized what she had been about to do. Shame ran through her veins and her head hung low, her voice a whisper in contrast to the fury it had spewed not long before.

“Forgive me, my friends.” Her head remained bowed as she sat down, “I dishonored your memory, and was about to destroy the legacy you left in my care.” Tears ran down her face as she pulled off her crown with one hoof, its onyx surface reflecting her moonlight as she held it against her chest with both hooves. “I do not deserve what you left for me, nor do I deserve the adoration I seek when I was so close to tearing it all down. For what? Pride? Love? It is not a right, nor is it an obligation of my station.” Her gaze lifted to rest on the face of True Shot, her heart ripping in twain as she imagined what he would think of her actions. “I do not deserve you, old friend. I never did.”

Her magic flared bright, sparks and swirls of power spiraling around her body as her regalia was removed, “I am not worthy of the throne, nor can I face my sister after all that has happened.” She gazed up at her friends, her closest confidants, her family, a smile crossing her lips as she closed her eyes, “Goodbye, my friends, I hope you find peace in the Golden Fields. This will be the last time we see each other.”

A blinding flash engulfed the graveyard as the morning dawn broke over the land, yet no one paid any attention as the sun crossed the horizon. It was many hours before a maid was sent to wake the lunar princess, the diarch’s famed temper about being awoken too soon, a strong deterrent to haste. Yet, there was no answer, and a sense of dread began to set in when the door was found to be locked. Guards were called, and then Princess Celestia was informed when they proved no match for the magical locks in place. Panic set in when the destroyed bedroom was finally opened, with guards and servants running to and fro in search of their missing princess. It was nearing nightfall when a discovery was made, and Celestia raced to the scene upon hearing a clue had been found.

What awaited her in the castle graveyard froze her in place, shock setting in as her hooves carried her to the base of the hallowed grave. There, resting in a perfectly neat and orderly fashion, was a set of regalia, topped with a single scroll, sealed with Luna’s mark.

The guards stood by as her magic lifted the scroll, her magical grip faltering and her hooves shaking as they took over holding the missive in her grasp. A gasp escaped her lips, the letter dropping to the ground as she spun to face the gathered ponies.

“My sister has abdicated the throne!” Her voice was stricken with fear as the guards reeled back in shock, “Find her, please, I must know what happened! GO!”

Everyone dashed off in different directions, even as Celestia turned to look up at the monument itself, her voice falling to a whisper as the implications of what her sister had done started to set in, “Oh Luna, why?”

The letter, resting beside the solar diarch, fluttered in the morning breeze as its words glittered in the sunlight, the moonsilver ink proof that they had been written by Luna herself. The words, heavy and stained by tears in many places, read as such…

Dear Princess Celestia,

I have done a heinous thing tonight and almost destroyed what we have worked so hard to build. I do not ask you to understand, nor shall I beg for forgiveness. All I can say is that I find myself lacking, that I am not worthy of the sacrifices others have given in my place, and do not deserve to carry forth when I am unable to carry the burdens of their legacy with the honor it deserves.

Thus, I revoke my title as Princess, for what little it has been worth of late, and will be leaving Everfree to live in exile. I know you will search for me; I know asking you not to will fall on deaf ears. I do not care, as I do not deserve to stand at your side, nor rule our nation when I am not worthy of it. Let it be known here and now that I do not wish you ill, nor shall I act against Equestria in any way. I will not even use my own name, nor shall I look as myself, as I do not wish to drag you down with me in my disgrace.

Farewell, Princess Celestia, I wish you well and hope that you can make our dream of a bright and happy nation a reality without me holding you back.

Your former sister,

Ex-princess Luna Moonshadow

Author's Note

Woohoo!! Let's go!! I hope everypony is excited for this new book! I know I certainly am! No but seriously, my muse has been beating me over the head with this idea for weeks now and I finally sat down and got the first chapter written, along with the amazing assistance of my tireless editor, LeadlessSteed.

Please, leave your thoughts in the towel section below, they are food that feeds an author so they can write more chapters, don't you know. I look forward to seeing how everypony reacts to this new adventure, and I can't wait to get the next chapter out for you all to enjoy.

Until next time,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.